Apparatus for sherardizing metal articles



c. .r. KIRK APPARATUS FOR SHRARDIZING METAL ARTICLES Filed Dec. 20. 19230 DEED-WSIS! @EEDD QUEUE-IIL Sept. 1, 1925'.

Patented Sept. 1

1T UN CHARLES J. KIRK, QFEW CASTLE, Y1'inrNsY'm'rANIA.

' ArPARATUs non' Y'sH:auaARDIzNGelvL'ETAL ARTICES.

npplicationmed December 2051921. v l seriai No; tease?.

"Bei itand: usefullmpiovement'inApparatus for My invention relates izing pipe' coup'li'1`igs5 y and --exact" jloy declare castings; nails, Wire and Eothe-` metal *articles 'one lotje@ r@fn-1y invention is to 'provide "the articles to be* herarclized'areprogressive-ly heatecl' alluring the sheiai'dizi'ng treat-` S i'nent .with Zinc I(lust.

` constructed 'as` 'orclinai'ly providedl ini tunnel kilns.,

' shefa-'Iclizng Wrnetall articles,-- the articlesltof'beteatedfare` carryingthe articles',

fof theienn in deposite provide ian"irnjoroved vto roll togethef of Lny invention fis* to A `fshel'aidiz"ing' "drumy so oiitrae'ks `such as are ethod f of' 'placed in fatumbling clruinalong'with'asuit- *articles Within,

' ff to? ybring' 4all parts" of fniatefcontct With-fthe which f is clesiiA1 cooling.

i According 1to1 my tunnel kiln; Vpreiealoly or" heat-interchanging *tively gradualinan ontlnu'ou'slyl tumble d usual kind and quant say'lto vcausethe -nletal thel `tlrunfr to vabsorb ay 'surface f the aiticles-I into 'finti- Zinc.

'clifcult to? raise vand` of' 'the ametal articles :present inventiom I y 'cairy outthe sheraidizingopeation'zin a drum! which is caused to jpass through a 'ofthe compensating t' "type, fand yI thereby :progressive and relanei1 'Whilel they are being into` Contact i Aivifth 'the ity tof `Zine Vpovvdei.

anclf resident fof to the -ar't jof Sheralrclclust containing lsome1l 'andizing=clrunisffFjiga (fett-ical tional n'View taken "substantially fon' -th'e '24h-2,

one :of the. cli'u'nris;l "the: section if taken substantially on. l the line!y 6- 6; Eig 5 and andY:coitinninicating?A ,espectiyelyf with; hues known onstuction. Y of `this kind is coininonly.fopeiatedhyintroducing "cars v"into thfe 'tunnels froin ioppofma'y be Qaneeeeeedum L. Vestitmejs;y 15/ n ferm:

l lflanges ses the tunnel 2 from the right of F ig. l, and into the tunnel 3 from the left of Fig, l. At the entering end, each tunnel is heated only by heat from the adjacent tunnel and the heat in each tunnel becomes progres sively greater as the cars advance and may be controlled to heat the articles to any desired temperature and at any desired rate.

The drums 19 in which the articles to be sherardized are carried through the tunnels 2 and 3 consist of circular end plates 20, which are constructed, like railway car wheels, with flanges 2l which run upon the tracks 12 andrl3. The end plates `2() are also provided with inner flanges 22 to which a circular sheet-metal shell 23 is secured by rivets 24 or by other suitable means. An opening for loading and unloadingV the drum is providedl ,at 25 and is closed` by a door 26 which fits between and is Vattached thereto by means of pins 28 and pivoted keys 29 which enter slots 30 formed' in the flanges 27 and in the cover 26.V Pins 31 are driven through the pins 28 and the` keys 29 to hold the door in place.

Hubs 35 are formed at the center of each i, lof the end plates 20 and are provided with placedl in the drums 19 togetherwith a suitj Y yassists in the proper coating of the grooves36 to receive couplers 37 which are provided with recesses 38 near their ends. These recesses 38 fit in the grooves 36, which are wide enough to receive two of the couplers as shown in Figs. l, 2 and 4;.

In the operation of the apparatus dek scribedabove, the pipe couplings, castings or other metal articles to be sherardized are able quantity of Zinc dust, and the drums are introduced one at a time into opposite ends of the tunnel kiln, the drums entering the tunnel 3 from the right of Fig. l, as on this figure, and

37 to the preceding drum, in order that the drums may not rub against each other as theyy roll vthrough thekiln. l/Vhile advancing throughtlie kiln, the rolling movement of the drums causes the metall articles to be throughly tumbled with the zinc dust.. At `the same time the interior of each drum is which metal and also gives the metal a desirable heat treatment. At suitable intervals one of the heated progressivelyand controllably,

Vdrums is withdrawnfrom the outlet end of each tunnel and the contents removed, and a fresh drum charged with metal articles and kzinc `dust is introduced into the enter-A ing end of the tunnel. y Y

My invention comprises broadly the provision of apparatus .larly in theuse of a tunnel kiln for this purH 27 formed around the opening 25,

lianged. circular end for progressively heat ing sherardizing containers, and particu-ly pose. A tunnel kiln of the compensating type is preferred on account of its advantages as to economy and regulation of the heat. However, it will be understood that this apparatus may be varied in many respects without departing from the broad features of my invention.

It will also be understood that when a tunnel kiln is employed for sherardizing, thecontainers in which the articles are carried through the kiln need not be of the speciic form herein described, since the drums may be constructed in various other ways within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention v l. Sherardizing apparatus comprising a plurality of closed containers and means for advancing the said containers successively and by gravity through a progressively heated chamber.

2. Sherardizing apparatus lcomprising a compensating tunnel kiln, a plurality of closed rotary containers, and means for advancing the said containers in spaced relation through the said kiln in parallel rows and from opposite ends of the said kiln.

3. Sherardizing apparatus comprising a compensating tunnel kiln, parallelvtracks vwithin the said kiln, the said tracks being inclined in opposite directions, and a plurality ofV closed containers adapted .to advance by gravity on the said tracks.

v4. Sherardizing apparatus comprising a compensating tunnel kiln containing two tracks inclined in opposite directions, and a plurality of circular sherardizing drumsA adapted to roll by gravity onsaid tracks.

5,. Sherardizing apparatus comprising a compensating tunnel kiln' containing two tracks inclined in opposite directions, a plurality of circular sherardizing drums adapted to roll by gravity on the said tracks, and means for spacingthe said drums apart.

6. Sherardizing `apparatus'comprising a compensating tunnel kiln containing two the said drums apart, the

drums and couplers hav-k ingl recesses-formed in their ends and adapted to fit in the said grooves. Y y

7 A sherardizing drum comprising plates adapted to roll on railway tracks, and a shell connecting the said end plates,the said shellbeing provided with an opening closed bya removable door.

8. A sherardizing a drum comprising circular flanges end plates adapted to roll on railway tracks and a circular sheet metal shell secured to the said end plates and forming therewith a vclosed container, the said shell being provided with an opening closed by a removablel door.

comprising grooved ,hubsk n tracks inclined kin opposite directions, a plu- I rality of circular sherardizing drums adaptgravity on the `said tracks, and

9. Av sherardizng drum comprising re-d by the said end'plates, trhe said hubs i flanged circular end plates adapted to roll being provided With a circular groove Afor on railway tracks, a circular sheetmetal receiving couplers. l v shell connecting the said end plates and In testimony WbereofI, tbe'said CHARLES 5 forming therewith a closed container, the J KIRK', have hereuntol set my hand.'

said shell being provided with an opening p closed by a removable door, and hubs oar- CHARLES J. KIRK. 

